2013 Breeders’ Cup Distaff from A to Z

Let’s start coverage of the 2013 Breeders' Cup Distaff with one of my favorites, the A to Z list.  It’s filled with interesting facts and figures about the Distaff, which was one of the seven original Breeders’ Cup races in 1984.

 

A – The Letter A has the most winners of the Distaff with Ashado (2004), Adoration (2003), Azeri (2002), and Ajina (1997).

 

B - Bayakoa was a two-time winner (1989, 1990).

 

C – Controversy: When Life at Ten “lost contact” with the field in the 2010 Distaff at Churchill Downs it set off one of the most controversial situations in Breeders’ Cup history.

 

D– D. Wayne Lukas has had the most starters in the Distaff with 27 and he won the race four times in 1985-1987 and 2000.

 

E – Escena won the 1998 Distaff for Bill Mott, Gary Stevens, and Allen Paulson.

 

F – Five-Time Winner: Mike Smith leads the jockeys with the most wins in the Distaff.

 

G – Ginger Punch (2007) was one of six Breeders’ Cup winners for trainer Bobby Frankel. Ginger Punch was his only victor in the Distaff.

 

H – Horse of the Year: Azeri (2002) and Lady's Secret (1986) are the only winners of the Distaff that were named Horse of the Year in the same year.

 

I – Inside Information: This Phipps/McGaughey runner holds two records from her 1995 victory – largest win margin in any Breeders’ Cup race (13½ lengths) and fastest time in the Distaff (1:46.15).

 

J – Jerry Bailey had the most mounts in the Distaff with 15, spanning the years 1991-2005. Surprisingly, he did not have a winner.

 

K – Kent Desormeaux won the 2010 Distaff with Unrivaled Belle.

 

L – Long Shot: Spain (2000), at 55.90-1, is the biggest long shot in the history of the Distaff.

 

M – Trainer Michael Matz has one Breeders’ Cup win from three starters and it was Round Pond in the 2006 Distaff.

 

N – Name Change: In 2008 the name of the Distaff was changed to the Ladies’ Classic and to the joy of most race fans was changed back to the Distaff in 2013.

 

O – Oklahoma-bred: The 1986 Distaff was won by Lady’s Secret, one of only two Oklahoma-bred horses to win a Breeders’ Cup race. The other was Kip Deville in the 2007 Mile.

 

P – Princess Rooney, the .70-1 favorite, won the inaugural running of the Distaff at Hollywood Park before a crowd of 64,254.

 

Q – A mile and a quarter: For the first four years the Distaff was run at the distance of 10 furlongs.

 

R – Royal Delta won the Distaff in 2011 and 2012 is looking to make it three in a row.

 

S – Strawberry Road was the sire of two consecutive, yet different winners of the Distaff with Ajina (1997) and Escena (1998). Awesome Again did it with Round Pond (2006) and Ginger Punch (2007).

 

T – Top Trainer: Bill Mott has won the Distaff five times including the last three in a row.

 

U – Undefeated: Personal Ensign ended her career unbeaten when she got up in the last stride to win the 1988 Distaff by a nose.

 

V – Is it Velasquez or Velazquez? No problem in the Distaff because both Cornelio Velasquez (Pleasant Home 2005) and John Velazquez (Ashado 2004) have a victory in the Distaff.

 

W – WPS: The largest win, place, and show pool from the Distaff came at Churchill Downs in 2006 with $4,998,917.

 

X – XXX – 2013 will be the 30^th running of the Distaff.

 

Y – Yolanda B. Too finished 12^th in the 2005 Distaff for trainer Rick Violette and West Point Thoroughbreds.